Make sure the toilet is quite comfortable and easy for him to use. A box or footstool will stop him perching on the edge of the seat. Try without the training seat, too. Some designs are a bit wobbly, and some really are no more comfortable than sitting on the proper seat.

He might be happier with you there, or, conversely, maybe he prefers total privacy. Ask him. Give him chances to practise sitting on the loo clothed, without pressure to do anything. Praise him for doing this. Some parents find using the loo is made more fun if the child is distracted from it -- try blowing bubbles, or reading a story, or playing a game.

Reviewed by Dr Winston Yong, a consultant paediatrician at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur

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